


Head Rush

by CourierNinetyTwo



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: F/F, First Kiss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-29
Updated: 2012-11-29
Packaged: 2017-11-19 20:05:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/577149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CourierNinetyTwo/pseuds/CourierNinetyTwo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nyreen passes the test.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Head Rush

It was just the adrenaline.

Aria had trained dozens of lieutenants in her lifetime and put them through this live fire course. Grizz, Gavorn, Anto. It had been inconsequential, watching them dodge traps and roll into cover, sending a hail of bullets back at the Eclipse mechs she kept on loan for this exercise. Her heart didn't race, it didn't even flutter. If they died, they weren't good enough to work for her anyway.  


Watching Nyreen's biotics crush a FENRIS with a single lash, she could taste her pulse, feel the blood tremble as it worked through her body. It had been ever-present since the first obstacle, dodged with a soldier's grace. Aria's eyes were locked on the turian as she spotted the proximity mines beneath a grate just in time, surrounding herself with a barrier. The explosion sent vibrations all the way up to the observation floor, but Nyreen emerged unharmed, sprinting past the smoke.

_Watch the wire_ , Aria thought, just as Nyreen skidded across the floor, missing the razor-sharp line by a matter of inches. It would have cut right through her throat at a full run. Blue energy flickered across the turian's skin, giving her enough of a push to cross the gap between floors in a single leap. The door slid shut behind Nyreen, followed by the blare of the testing system. She'd survived.  
"Not bad." Jarral muttered from Aria's left.

"She's-" Aria cleared her throat. Her voice had come out hoarse, tense. "She made a lot of progress with her biotics in the last year."

"Want me to let her out of the cage?"

Aria shook her head. "No, I'll do it. Everyone gets their stripes in person, not by proxy."

The younger asari shrugged. "Your call, boss. I'll go back to Afterlife."

Aria ignored the slight stiffness in her limbs as she descended the stairs; standing in one place for an hour without moving an inch made that a hazard in heels. Besides, she was about to hit the thousand year mark; eventually, her body would make her feel the age. Not yet.

Nyreen was leaning against the wall when she opened the door, the stock of an assault rifle balanced on one muscled thigh. Aria stepped past the spent clips on the floor, one hand clenching into a fist. She didn't want to hit Nyreen; it was a gesture of restraint, a much-needed reminder.

"What was my time?" Nyreen asked. She picked up the rifle and holstered it onto her back, waiting for the distinctive click.

"Fifty-nine minutes and a nanosecond." Aria replied, unable to stop the faint smile that curved her lips. "Congratulations, Nyreen."

"Does that mean I can consider myself employed?" The turian let out a soft, flanging laugh. "I'd like to be able to afford my own apartment instead of sharing a bunk with your dancers."

Aria tilted her head slightly to the left, stopping just short of Nyreen. "What's wrong with my dancers?"

"They gossip until zero four every night. It's not conducive to getting rack time."

"Lucky for you then...lieutenant." A wider smile. Aria couldn't keep her expression still; it was a reflex. "I'll give you an advance on your first paycheck when you find a place."

Nyreen extended her hand, mandibles flaring in a way Aria had always associated with stiff gratitude. "Thank you. You didn't have to give me a chance or your time. I know how prestigious it is to work for you here."

Aria's hand moved to meet Nyreen's, but instinct intertwined their fingers instead of the strong shake the turian expected. Muscle subtly flexed, radiating tension. Aria pulled their hands against her chest as she stepped forward into a kiss.

It was different with turians; the hardness, the muted response. But that didn't stop Nyreen from tilting her head up into the gesture, eyes squeezing shut. Aria lingered as long as she could bear before pulling back, her fingers idly toying over the rough texture of the turian's knuckles.

"Is that...standard?" Nyreen asked. "I don't want to get the wrong idea."

"It could happen again, if you want to consider that a standard." Aria replied, slowly putting her neutral mask back together. "We could go get a celebratory drink at the club, and then you can spend the night upstairs with me."

Nyreen was suddenly grateful that turians couldn't blush; the phenomenon seemed to make it difficult for other races to hide their attraction. That _Aria_ was suggesting this, that she didn't have to work to hide her desire anymore - keep it professional - was more than Nyreen could have asked for.

"Sounds like a plan, boss." She said.

Aria's lips pursed, amusement barely restrained. Nyreen's eyes fell to the dark stripe bisecting the asari's lip; she'd always wondered what the tattoos meant. They reminded her of war paint. "You don't observe rank in bed, do you?"

The turian blinked, carefully releasing Aria's hand. "Not unless I'm asked to."

Aria smirked, turning on her heel. "I'll keep that in mind."

Nyreen followed her out of the room, feeling Afterlife's bass thrumming through the floor when they reached ground level again. She knew the song - a turian war anthem remixed with modern instrumentation. If it was a coincidence, Nyreen didn't want to know. She'd rather take it as a good omen.


End file.
